Possible new tow vehicle.......Lets hear thoughts from the gallery.......

[BlkGS]

With the air suspension it drives like a luxury vehicle. On the premium models it feels like driving a luxury car. Soft touch blinkers/wipers sticks, very smooth steering. I cannot speak for the lower models.

I have friends with new Silverado's and they drive like complete shit compared to my Ram. (They drive like a truck)

I dunno, the ones I test drove felt every bit as big as they were. The week before I got my tbss I walked away from a deal on a 21 3.92 laramie black pack, it drove huge. My dad's 2500 is huge, so it makes sense that it would drive huge. My f150 drove huge too.. Our expedition somehow feels a bit smaller than it actually is.

 

[adrianp89]

I dunno, the ones I test drove felt every bit as big as they were. The week before I got my tbss I walked away from a deal on a 21 3.92 laramie black pack, it drove huge. My dad's 2500 is huge, so it makes sense that it would drive huge. My f150 drove huge too.. Our expedition somehow feels a bit smaller than it actually is.

Not sure what driving "huge" means. It is still a 5k vehicle and 220" long lol. Did it have the air suspension? It doesn't feel heavy when driving or turning. Parking - absolutely - I can't park forward to save my life lol the 360 cam helps though.

 

[2kwik4u]

@adrianp89

I have driven a recent model. They're nice, but not for me. Styling isn't my cup of tea, interior isn't for me either. I agree they do ride nice, and I haven't compared loaded to unloaded, but my GMCs have always ridden better loaded.

The Q7 actually doesn't ride that great. It's not bad, but it's not the super plush luxury you have in mind. The 21's with 45 series tires make it harsh in general, and I leave the suspension in the lowest/stiffest setting to keep it from floating around. Honestly the few miles I drove it, the AT4 rode as good or better than the Q7.

My old Sierra rode horrible though. Took swapping to Bilstein shocks, new rubber bushings all around and a move away the crappy BFG A/T tires to get the ride acceptable.

Kinda like the Rams the BFG's get super high marks from reviews. I found them to be heavy, loud, harsh, and borderline dangerous in the rain. Moved to Continental Terrain Contact ATs and everything got better.......Part of the reason I start with reviews then evaluate from there on most everything.

In regard to the CEL. I talked to them this afternoon. Gonna be a few days before it gets in at GMC dealership. Selling dealer agreed to hand over the repair paperwork from GMC dealership. I'm sure they'll downplay it. They're trying to sell the truck, I would be worried if they didn't. Like everything else....trust but verify.

Have a friend with HPTuners. Considering borrowing that for the follow up visit to check the module status and see if there is a tune on there or not. Need to verify he can do that without burning a license though.

 

[2kwik4u]

@BlkGS I would be very surprised you would have shaken him. Mine was lowered with sticky tires and poly bushings. It was about as good as you can get those things to handle without going full coilovers. The R/Ts are far more spry than they look.

When we compared between stoplights I would put a length to a length and a half on him to about 30, then it was a dead heat to triple digits. Not sure he ever ran his at the track but mine did a 14.01@99.5mph at Beech Bend the summer I had it. C&D puts the Durango at something like a 14.5 or so stock. A stock SS with a Cat back and a tune might get you into the high 13's or so, but not enough to really embarrass an R/T.

Anywho, the R/Ts are a respectably fast daily driver. With a great feature set. Arguably a much better value than my Q7!

 

[Jim_in_Delaware]

I found another 2500, 4x2 w/Hemi engine. The payload is 3400. So I'm gaining 100# in payload. I'm taking it in the shorts on the deal, but I can have piece of mind now. No fun towing with a camper knowing you're 800 lbs heavy. My old heart can't take that.

It's been a while, but if I recall the diesel engine was about 700-800 lbs heavier than the hemi, and the 4x4 running gear also added another couple of hundred pounds, all of which comes at the expense of a smaller payload. I think if you really want a diesel, you need to step up to a 350/3500 truck.

Make sure you payload calculations including all the stuff in the truck (including accessories) and the tongue weight of the trailer. Also, make sure the tires on the truck are rated for the payload. Had a neighbor with an older single rear wheel F-350. He actually have different tires he would put on the truck when he carried his slide-in as he didn't like these beefier tires for normal everyday driving.

Jim

 

[steveinmd]

Not sure what driving "huge" means. It is still a 5k vehicle and 220" long lol. Did it have the air suspension? It doesn't feel heavy when driving or turning. Parking - absolutely - I can't park forward to save my life lol the 360 cam helps though.

Lol. Same. I think I'm centered in the lines and shutdown/step out. Not even close.

I have always been a chevy guy. Wasnt looking at Rams. After test driving a trail boss, I was defeated. It sucked. Went to a local Ram dealer because the incentives at the time were stout. (Early covid). We were blown away with how it rode and how quiet it was. Thus began my search for my current model. Loaded big horn.

 

[RobbieO]

It's been a while, but if I recall the diesel engine was about 700-800 lbs heavier than the hemi, and the 4x4 running gear also added another couple of hundred pounds, all of which comes at the expense of a smaller payload. I think if you really want a diesel, you need to step up to a 350/3500 truck.

Make sure you payload calculations including all the stuff in the truck (including accessories) and the tongue weight of the trailer. Also, make sure the tires on the truck are rated for the payload. Had a neighbor with an older single rear wheel F-350. He actually have different tires he would put on the truck when he carried his slide-in as he didn't like these beefier tires for normal everyday driving.

Jim

Tires are Load E rated at 3640. My tires can handle the weight. It drives me crazy that I am 1200 lbs under on the front axle, and 800 lbs under on the rear, but payload is too heavy. Total BS.

 

[suke]

With the air suspension it drives like a luxury vehicle. On the premium models it feels like driving a luxury car. Soft touch blinkers/wipers sticks, very smooth steering. Also they went to the extreme on quieting the cab. It is extremely quiet on the interstate. I cannot speak for the lower models.

I have friends with new Silverado's and they drive like complete shit compared to my Ram. (They drive like a truck)

Yup! It's like chevy is the kid in the corner eating crayons. Just riding on the fanbois hoping that'll keep them selling trucks. The Ram's win awards for a reason. With their TT 6 motor coming it may make me take another look at them when it is time to replace my F150.

 

[2kwik4u]

Yup! It's like chevy is the kid in the corner eating crayons. Just riding on the fanbois hoping that'll keep them selling trucks. The Ram's win awards for a reason. With their TT 6 motor coming it may make me take another look at them when it is time to replace my F150.

I think the '22 refresh interior helps the GM twins catch up nicely. Exterior is better, but still polarizing. Either way GM has been behind in styling and tech for awhile despite sales numbers for GMC/Chevy combined have beaten Ford and Ram for several years.

Of the big 3, I like the GM the best. It's largely subjective things that sway me to be fair.

Would give the Tundras a hard look if I could find one. Titan makes a strong value position as well. I think I can get a brand new loaded Pro4X for under $60k.

Overall though, I think you're hard pressed to find a "bad" truck any more. Sure some are better than others, but none of them are really bad.

 

[Crob83]

Lol. Same. I think I'm centered in the lines and shutdown/step out. Not even close.

I have always been a chevy guy. Wasnt looking at Rams. After test driving a trail boss, I was defeated. It sucked. Went to a local Ram dealer because the incentives at the time were stout. (Early covid). We were blown away with how it rode and how quiet it was. Thus began my search for my current model. Loaded big horn.

I just like trucks...lol. Had an F150 for years and now have a Silverado. But the Rams are definitely nice as fuck

 

[J-RAD]

@J-RAD has one...maybe he'll chime in with his mpg numbers and driving impression.

We've had the 3.0L Duramax for a little over a year now ('21 Sierra 1500 AT4) and put a little over 10k miles on it. My wife lets me drive it occasionally... We're extremely happy with it. I major step up from my old '05 Silverado with the 5.3L. It honestly hauls the boat around like a HD, could do 80mph down the freeway or drag it thru the canyon without breaking a sweat. It's shocking to think it's got 3.6L deficit on the 6.6L in my Denali... truthfully, it's a ballsy little rig!

The interior of the AT4 is nicer than my '18 Denali HD. Lots of tech upgrades as well. It rides a lot more comfortable than the HD too, but that's too be expected.

As for milage we seem to hover around 16-18 in town and on the freeway, I've got the average (25 mile) up to 30mpg. That was probably rare. We're consistently in the upper 20's on short freeway stints without making a effort.

Last summer we took the boat on a camping trip to a small mountain reservoir 2.5 hours away (130mi). The drive took us up one canyon gaining 3k ft then down 2k ft then up a 2nd canyon back up 2k ft. We set the trip info to see how we did. I want to say that she averaged over 12mpg there and back. We took a pic of the dash, but it's probably on my wife's phone because I can't find it, which I thought was pretty stellar with the elevation changed and all in there. That's trusting the computer, which I think is fairly accurate. We did put 33" tires on it, which I know throws the speedo off by about 2mph, so...?

Anyway, we feel like we bought the right truck for us. Not a single issue with it and not a bad thing to say about it.

 

[BlkGS]

Not sure what driving "huge" means. It is still a 5k vehicle and 220" long lol. Did it have the air suspension? It doesn't feel heavy when driving or turning. Parking - absolutely - I can't park forward to save my life lol the 360 cam helps though.

It did have air ride, but it was more of like, it felt massively wide. Parking lots were a nightmare, staying in lanes was a chore, turning circle was like a cruise ship... It felt massive.

 

[SCP1]

We've had the 3.0L Duramax for a little over a year now ('21 Sierra 1500 AT4) and put a little over 10k miles on it. My wife lets me drive it occasionally... We're extremely happy with it. I major step up from my old '05 Silverado with the 5.3L. It honestly hauls the boat around like a HD, could do 80mph down the freeway or drag it thru the canyon without breaking a sweat. It's shocking to think it's got 3.6L deficit on the 6.6L in my Denali... truthfully, it's a ballsy little rig!

The interior of the AT4 is nicer than my '18 Denali HD. Lots of tech upgrades as well. It rides a lot more comfortable than the HD too, but that's too be expected.

As for milage we seem to hover around 16-18 in town and on the freeway, I've got the average (25 mile) up to 30mpg. That was probably rare. We're consistently in the upper 20's on short freeway stints without making a effort.

Last summer we took the boat on a camping trip to a small mountain reservoir 2.5 hours away (130mi). The drive took us up one canyon gaining 3k ft then down 2k ft then up a 2nd canyon back up 2k ft. We set the trip info to see how we did. I want to say that she averaged over 12mpg there and back. We took a pic of the dash, but it's probably on my wife's phone because I can't find it, which I thought was pretty stellar with the elevation changed and all in there. That's trusting the computer, which I think is fairly accurate. We did put 33" tires on it, which I know throws the speedo off by about 2mph, so...?

Anyway, we feel like we bought the right truck for us. Not a single issue with it and not a bad thing to say about it.

Have you towed the new boat with it? Based on the towing review when I replace the Suburban sounds like I will be going with the 3.0.

 

[SCP1]

In regards to mpg I talked to a guy I know who has one and over 22,000 miles he’s averaging 22. Including towing his side by sides which he stated are around 5,000lbs. Now how much of this was towing not sure, however with over 40,000 miles on my Suburban with the 5.3 I’m averaging 16.2. He stated he sees high 20’s or even low 30’s on the highway.

 

[2kwik4u]

@J-RAD thanks for the review and info. Appreciate the post there!

 

[adrianp89]

It did have air ride, but it was more of like, it felt massively wide. Parking lots were a nightmare, staying in lanes was a chore, turning circle was like a cruise ship... It felt massive.

It is a wide truck for sure. I think it feels roomy.To each their own I suppose, I don’t have those issues but I have been driving big trucks for a while now. I find the Wrangler harder To stay in lines, I can pull u-turns with the 252 easily. (Not that I make a habit of making u turns with 25+ feet behind me lol).I think allhalf tons are getting up to the same size now.

 

[Jim_in_Delaware]

It did have air ride, but it was more of like, it felt massively wide. Parking lots were a nightmare, staying in lanes was a chore, turning circle was like a cruise ship... It felt massive.

We all have different expectations when it comes to driving a vehicle, but I truly enjoy driving my Ram and find the size to be comfortable with two large bucket seats and a nice wide center console.

• Parking for me is a issue maybe 5% of the time and this is just in those newer planned shopping centers where they shrunk the size of the parking spots in order to get more customers into a tighter space.
• I have no idea why staying in lane would be a chore, with the long wheelbase and wide stance these trucks drive straight as an arrow.
• U-turns take some planning with larger vehicles, not like my daughter's subcompact. Just takes a little practice to know how much room is needed.

Did I say how much I like driving a Ram? Wife has a 2007 Jeep Commander with only 75,000 miles. One reason for the low miles is that I almost always drive when we go somewhere. I really don't like driving the Jeep. It is like driving a classic pickup truck. The Rams (including my previous 2012 Ram) are like driving a big, old, luxury car.

Jim

 

[BlkGS]

It is a wide truck for sure. I think it feels roomy.To each their own I suppose, I don’t have those issues but I have been driving big trucks for a while now. I find the Wrangler harder To stay in lines, I can pull u-turns with the 252 easily. (Not that I make a habit of making u turns with 25+ feet behind me lol).I think allhalf tons are getting up to the same size now.

I think you're right that all the halftons are basically the same size. That's why I said the ram felt huge, it felt bigger driving it than the others. Our expedition is the same size as a f150, and it doesn't feel huge in a bad way like ram did to me. It's just spacious inside, but it whips a u turn tighter than our rogue or the tbss. In a narrow parking spot, it's still a pain, but outside of the worst small lanes out there, it always feels like you've got wiggle room. The ram felt like it was riding the lines the whole time. Again, it likely is no different in truth, but that was how it felt driving it.

FWIW, we had the same feelings about the new tahoe/yukon. It drove like it was a lot bigger than the expedition, but they're very similar in size. I sorta assumed on Tahoe it was because of the new giant front end because previous gems I never felt like that.

All this likely can also be looked at from a different perspective that I really like how much more tidy the expedition feels vs it's peers. Armada felt like a giant brick but no space in it comparatively (I came away from armada SUPER disappointed with it). My f150 didn't feel as tidy as the expedition does, but I'll blame that on when I ordered it I checked every option box and got fx4, which I had no use for but figured I should just get it. That made the suspension WAY too soft.

 

[Taylorman]

10%/year for 3 years gets you about $24k back. Makes the deal a little better.

10% seems unrealistic in today’s market. Last couple years have been an atypical. Most wealth management firms will factor long term YoY growth of 4-6% and that’s before the last couple of years. When looking at the bigger picture, IMHO, it’s wise to expect the coming year’s returns to weigh down gains from these abnormally high profit years to more closely align to traditional numbers. Personally, I’m preparing for leaner or negative returns over the next few years. If I’m wrong I’ll benefit and if I’m correct I will fair better than the market. I paid cash for my truck last month because, in my estimation, the best case was break even. Just one simple man’s take. To each their own.

 

[Acard7]

If you’re gonna spend close to 60k for a newer used 3.0 diesel I would just go ahead and find a 3/4 ton diesel instead. A little older and then cheaper too (within 2015 and newer anyways) but will still retain its value. I get around 20mpg all the time with my 2016 Ram 2500 6.7 and around 16-18mpg pulling the AR230. A friend of mine who has a 2014 Ram 2500 diesel got even better fuel mileage but his was deleted and tuned. Mine was deleted prior to my purchase so what is the DEF you speak of? ?

I don’t know if all 3.0 diesels have the same issue but I know the Ram 3.0 diesels have an issue with hardened plastic parts cracking near the turbo. Ya new engineering I guess… I know of someone that deleted and tuned their 3.0 and that got rid of their gremlins and engine codes.

That being said, my 3/4 ton ram diesel has exceeded my expectations. Air bags are nice for towing and haven’t had an issue with the truck for the last 30k miles, knock on wood. Super easy to do normal maintenance like oil, fuel filter, and CCV service if you’re into doing it yourself. And you don’t have to take the whole damn cab off to reach the rear cylinders like you do in a 3/4 ton ford model (and maybe Chevy too). The only thing I don’t like is the 5in exhaust the guy installed when he deleted it. I wish it was a 4in just so it would be a little quieter. I installed a resonator though so it’s better for sure.